The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-13

In the fire at St. Augustine on yester-
day disappeard much that was more
precious than the values which can be
computed in dollars and cents. When
old Palatka was transformed into a heap
of ashes we mourned our empty pockets,
our lost time and the expenditure of
energy in addition to these which must
go out to make good the loss. Capital
and mind and muscle have restored the
city and il is fairer, more substantial
better in every respect-for its passage
through the furnace. Our people have
greater confidence in themselves since
their strength has been tried-we have
many gains to balance against the money
which went up in smoke ON the seventh
of November 1884. But the St. Au-
gustme destroyed yesterday cannot he
rebuilt.
On the walls which now lie in the
dust Menendez expended the energy of
his naughty soul-Ribault looked with
longing and Oglethorpe wasted his heart
in despair. They enclosed the hopes
ami fears of Christians who. beset by
savages in strange land, realized that
they had left all but their faith to make
doubtful experiment-they had be-
come saturated with the spirit of a time
which was hard and stern and proud.
but steadfast and loyal to conscience and
fatherland. Through the streets which
will now be obliterated, passed the priest
ON his self-immolating mission-t through
the same streets he returned with lacera-
tel body and broken heart wearied with
labor which seemed fruitless- to reach
once more the cathedral now in ashes to
Weld up his soul in the shadow of the
Cross for which he had lived and died.
The city which recalled the clash of
sword and clank of shield as the Iron
infantry" of Spain marched against Fort
Caroline, is no more-there will be- moth
ing henceforth To recall the dark exulta-
ton which ground again for future use
the daggers blunted against the breasts
of shipwrecked men on MatanZas beach
because they ''were hereto and there
fore worse than heather.
Soon the new city will take thu. place
of the one which was only an anachron-
ism in this bustling land of progress.
But we shall lose that which stirred the
imagination-which taught the weary
man of business to see the castles still
bright in the sunset clouds-the voices of
other days which whisper again in the
nj, Of L.. n
faces and warm hands which touch Us
again where dreams can walk unre-
proved in the sunshine and assume bod
lily presence in misty moonshine, or
speak words of comfort Mt midnight
deep. The whole world mourns such a
loss-it links each soul To its individual
past rs it carries strong nations back 10
feeble childhood ar state to its help
less infancy.
Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles took
possession of the spot in the name al
Philip ii, King of Spain, on the Sth day
of September, 1855. He builded his city
Ion the River of Dolphins," As ne trans
lated the Indian name ''SeloOe. The
walls he raised have fallen save the
| tower of the gateway-his fort ,on which
he lavished his masters treasure, has as
sumed a strange name and is held by al
alien race. The church which he ''rearec
for the glory of God and the peace of hi
SOUL is heap of ashes. The old is ever
| giving place To the new. and the crum
bling monuments of his greatness ar,
but fitting types of the desolation which
overwhelmed the lofty heart of the prOut
| Adelantado before death came To still
the pulse. quiet the restless brain an,
unnerve the strong hand with its sOoth
/ ing sleep.